History

In 1941, most Americans felt secure in their isolation and safe distance from the battles raging in Europe and Asia, but Japans attack on Pearl Harbor would change all of that. 


Tensions were high before the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor because the United States cut off the trade with the Japanese. Japan depended on the United States for many key materials: scrap iron, steel, and especially oil. In July 1940, Congress passed the Export Control Act, giving President Roosevelt the power to restrict the sale of strategic materials (materials important for fighting a war) to other nations.

 Roosevelt immediately blocked the sale of airplane fuel and scrap iron to Japan furious, the Japanese signed an alliance with the Axis Powers. The Axis Powers was now formed into the Tripartite Pact which consisted of the new member Japan (Emperor Hirohito), and the two original members Italy (Benito Mussolini)  and Germany (Adolf Hitler).

President Truman and General Leslie R. Groves, and J. Robert Oppenheimer directed a program nicknamed as the "Manhattan Project" to build an atomic bomb. In fear that Germany would construct such a powerful weapon before them, President Truman received several observations from scientist, Albert Einstein about the forcible use of uranium in atomic bombs. Through the production of the atomic bomb, President Truman eventually made the fateful decision to drop two atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. While making this decision Truman's vision was to ultimately end the war and save American lives.


The Allies intimated Japan with a prompt message to surrender, but Japan did not reply to the message. President Truman then ordered the military to drop the bomb. On August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber under the code name "Little Boy" was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. The bomb destroyed over 76,000 Industrial buildings, which demolished 63% of the entire city. Three days later on August 9, 1945, a second atomic bomb named "Fat Man" on the city of Nagasaki. The effect of the two bombs killed over 200,000 civilians that died instantly from the heat and radiation.


With the shock of the bombings, the Japanese Emperor commanded the government to unconditionally surrender. On August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered just six days later. This date was a day to celebrate; now known as "V-J Day".